Mornings without mayhem

Anyone with school age children knows that getting out of the house in the morning can be a nightmare. Here are some tips to help your mornings run smoothly:

Consistency:

Decide what time you need to leave the house. Work backwards from there to work out what time you need to get up (make sure you allow plenty of time to complete all morning tasks).

Routine: Establish a routine for your children and stick to it. Routine could be:

Get up at 7:15am.

Go to toilet.

Have a wash.

Get dressed.

Eat breakfast.

Brush teeth, brush hair.

Put shoes on.

Get book bag.

Leave house at 8:15am.

No TV or playtime until everything is done. Use the “If/Then” technique, e.g., “If you are completely ready and your shoes are on by 8:00am, then you can watch television/play for 15 minutes”.

Try to stay calm, positive and optimistic.

Realistic and age appropriate expectations:

Remember, learning to dress starts at age two to three and takes two to three years to complete. Small children may take 30 minutes to get completely dressed.

For younger children you could put their clothes out for them.

Provide help when needed.

Prepare what you can the night before:

Packed lunch.

School uniform.

Book bag and homework.

Check what else your child might need the next day – PE Kit, reply slip (encourage older children to do this themselves).

Extra Ideas:

Use a timer to encourage children to get ready quicker – make dressing into a game “Beat the Timer”.

Use a sticker chart to encourage children to be ready on time. Keep the chart close to the front door and put the sticker on each morning as you leave the house.

Use a morning chart with pictures for younger children or children with additional needs. Include a picture for each task in order. The child can start to take responsibility for themselves and move the picture from one side of chart to the other when they’ve completed the task.